The embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to a system and method for producing documents. More particularly, the disclosure relates to a system and method for the production of dimensional documents.
Conventional systems for producing dimensional documents, such as megaphones, small boxes, photo-geo-domes, and the like, are generally complex and expensive. For example, they may include a printing system, a coating system and a die-cutting system all connected to automatically perform these operations in sequence. In one known method of producing dimensional documents having custom printing, the text and/or images are printed on stock, a two-dimensional document is then cut from the stock using a flat or rotary die system, and the two-dimensional document is folded and glued to form a three-dimensional document. In some cases, the printing is performed on a thin stock that is later glued to a heavier weight stock to provide greater stability and strength. In other cases, the printing is performed on heavyweight stock.
In another known method, the printing and/or images are printed on pre-cut stock to form a two-dimensional document, and the two-dimensional document is then folded and glued to form a three-dimensional document. In this method, the printing is generally performed on a heavier weight stock, requiring printing apparatus that can handle such stock. In addition, the pre-cut stock is generally more expensive, must be inventoried, and this method limits the flexibility of the printer in terms of the sizes and designs that can be produced.
Conventional systems that are less complex and/or less expensive than those described above only process one sheet of material at a time. Known systems suitable for small print shops require a dedicated operator to hand place a single printed sheet into the digital cutter, execute the cutting job from an attached computer, remove the job from the cutter when the cut is complete and then load the next printed sheet in place for subsequent cutting. To satisfy the needs of small print shops, a low-cost system with automatic feed-on and feed-off operations to minimize labor overhead is required.